Bustle



(No Model.)

A. OATHA N. BUSTLR No. 405,695. Patented June 2.5, 1889.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, FlmlmLllhngraphnr, Washington. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO OATHAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,695, dated June 25,1889.

Application filed September 12, 1887. Serial No. 249,443. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO OATHAN, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bustles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bustles; and it consists incertain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of myimproved bustle. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the cloth coveringremoved from the sides to show more clearly the joints of the wire. Fig.3 is a side elevation showing the bustle collapsed. Fig. 4 shows thecloth covering along the sides of the finished bustle. Fig. 5 is a planof the frame detached.

A four-sided rigid frame is had for the bustle, (shown more clearly inFig. 5,) the said frame consisting of a wire A, bent substalr tially asshown, and connected with a metal strap B. The wire A has loops A,through which the ends of the strap B are passed, these ends being bentback and riveted at b. The wire A has loops a, for pivotally attachingthe different bows O, and has a loop a, located midway of the lower endof the frame, for attaching the spring D. The different bows C haveloops 0 made at the end thereof, that hook in the loops at of the frame,thus forming a pivotal connection. To the central part of the differentbows is attached a connecting-web of cloth or other suitable material E,the latter being also secured to the central part of strap B. Each bowis offset inward at the center, where the web .E is attached, theshoulders e at such offset preventing the web from. moving endwise onthe how. The length of the web E and the different points Where it isattached to the respective bows allows the latter, when the bustle isdis tended, to assume the proper positioinsubstantially as shown in Fig.2. l.

The springD is attached to the loop a and to the center of the lowerbow. It will be ob-- served that the loop a, to which the one end of thespring is attached, is considerably below the line of the loop a, towhich the lower bow is pivoted, and consequently the tension of thespring holds the bustle in its normal or distended position.

When the wearer sits down, the bustle by coming in contact with the seatis collapsed or the bows moved upward to the position shown in Fig. Suchcollapsing of the bus tle of course elongates the spring. Then thepressure is removed from the bustle, the tension of the springautomatically is turned from the bustle to its normal or distendedposition. The strips of cloth F are made to cover the sides of the frameand pivotal loops. These strips of cloth are of some width, and alongtheir opposing edges are provided with eyelets and lacin g f. Bytightening or loosening the lacing the bustle is made to fit the person.

A belt Gr is had for securing the bustle to the person in the usualmanner, and the belt is usually made broad enough to wrap around thestrap B, to serve as a cover for the latter.

What I claim is- In a bustle, the combination of a wire frame comprisingparallel side bars, a lower crossbar connecting the lower ends of saidparallel side bars at right angles thereto and an upper cross-barconnecting said side bars near their upper ends and extending at rightangles to said side bars, said frame having eyes at intervals along theside bars integral therewith, a series of spring-bows hinged to saideyes, the pivotal points of the lowermost springbow being above theplane of thelower cross bar, a flexible strip connected at its upper endto the upper cross-bar and at intervals along its length to said hingedspring-bows, and a contractile spring connected at one end to the lowerspring-bow and at the other end to the lower cross-bar of said frame.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 6th day of June, 1887.

ALONZO CATHAN.

\Vitnesses:

OHAs. H. Donna, ALBERT E. LYNCH.

